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GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO
2016 ANNUAL REPORT
Market
Development
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NICOLE MACKELLAR, MANAGER,
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
THE MARKET DEVELOPMENT
department is focused on developing new
markets and growing existing markets for
Ontario grains by partnering with companies
to develop novel new uses for grains and by
maintaining relationships and promoting
Ontario grains at domestic and international
levels. The department also includes a staff
member dedicated to sustainability and
environmental issues and programs.
In 2016, we saw the development of the Grains
Analytical Testing Laboratory. This is a joint
venture with SGS Canada, and is the only
private/public quality testing facility in Canada.
Located in Guelph, the lab is a full analytical
testing facility for cereal crops. Performing a
multitude of quality tests, the lab will allow
Grain Farmers of Ontario to better position
Ontario wheat as a leader in domestic and
export markets. Market development and
research type projects will be conducted for
Grain Farmers of Ontario at the lab; the lab
will conduct all of the quality testing for the
Ontario Wheat Quality Scoop program. It will
also have full commercial capabilities for
Ontario, Canadian, and North American
millers and processors.
As part of the Grains Innovation Fund, Grain
Farmers of Ontario invested $120,000 in
partnerships with the private sector to help
increase the utilization of Ontario barley, corn,
oats, soybeans, and wheat. The funding
worked to promote Ontario Corn Fed Beef in
Japan and the Middle East, the development
of a new barley based coating system, and the
development of a new specialized Canadian
wheat whisky.
Grain Farmers of Ontario continues to work
with the broader agricultural industry on
addressing market access concerns in key
domestic and international markets. As an
organization we participated in many
consultations and provided comments to
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on the
need for asynchronous approvals in the
European Union and China. As a member of
a working group including the Ontario Agri-
Business Association, the Western Grain
Elevator Association, and the Canadian
National Millers Association, new regulations
on the use of phosphine fumigants were
changed allowing the continued use of
products across the industry. Grain Farmers
of Ontario also worked with the Ontario-Agri-
Business Association on informing farmers
of the potential impacts of non-registered
products in key export markets.
A growing area for Grain Farmers of Ontario
is sustainability and the emphasis end-users
continue to put on sustainably sourced
commodities. As an organization we continue
to be engaged in several sustainability
initiatives both from a national and
international perspective. These include the
Round Table for Responsible Soy (RTRS),
Sustainable Agricultural Initiative, Canadian
Field Print Initiative, and Canadian Roundtable
for Sustainable Crops (CRSC). The goal of
Grain Farmers of Ontario is to provide our
farmer-members with the information and
resources needed to better understand
sustainability requirements and reduce the
impact they will have at the farm level.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
In early 2015, Grain Farmers of Ontario
initiated a sustainability survey to key exporters
and processors within the province. The
purpose of the survey was to gain a better
understanding of the sustainability needs of
our industry partners. Following the survey,
several meetings have been held with
companies across the value chain to develop
a cohesive approach to sustainability both in
the province as well as across the country.
SUSTAINABILITY COMPARISON
PROJECT
During late fall 2015, Grain Farmers of Ontario
initiated a Sustainability Comparison project
having growers go through three major
sustainability programs including RTRS, the
SAI Farm Sustainability Assessment, and the
Canadian Field Print Calculator. The purpose
of the project was to gain an understanding
of the resources needed at the farm level to
complete the programs and which program
would allow Ontario to highlight the many
great practices already being implemented.
CANADIAN ROUNDTABLE FOR
SUSTAINABLE CROPS
The CRSC is taking a proactive approach by
setting the precedents for sustainability
within Canada for agricultural commodities.
Currently, the CRSC is developing an assurance
protocol to assure the sustainable production
of Canadian commodities. This assurance
protocol will be developed through consultation
with the full supply chain and review of other
sustainability initiatives across the world to
produce the most compete protocol that will
allow Ontario and Canadian farmers continued
access to world markets.
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